Category: World Soccer

Michael Carrick to receive all-star Man Utd testimonial

Carrick has helped United win five Premier League titles and a Champions League crown during his time at the club, which will be marked on June 4 as Old Trafford plays host to his testimonial. And the north-west side will honour him with a match between a Manchester United 2008 XI and a Michael Carrick All-Stars team.

‘The talent’s there’ – Man Utd legend Irwin offers Shaw support

The ex-Red Devils full-back believes the England international will be given an opportunity to secure his future despite being frozen out at present Luke Shaw has time on his side at Manchester United and can still prove his worth to Jose Mourinho, says club legend Denis Irwin. The England international has fallen out of favour this season, with a lack of opportunities seeing him slip to fourth choice at left-back behind Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo.

‘Memphis cannot afford to live like a clown!’ – De Boer

The former Manchester United winger’s off-pitch behaviour has been criticised by his fellow Dutchman following his departure from Old Trafford Memphis Depay’s lacklustre performances at Manchester United meant he could not justify his flamboyant lifestyle off the pitch whereas Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goalscoring exploits mean people do not care if he dresses like a “clown”, says Ronald de Boer. Netherlands international Memphis endured a tricky 18-month spell at Old Trafford and departed for Lyon in January, where he has made a positive start to life in Ligue 1 scoring three goals in seven league outings.

Afellay signs Stoke renewal until 2019

Ibrahim Afellay has signed a new contract with Stoke City that will keep him at the club until at least 2019. The Netherlands international joined Premier League side Stoke from Barcelona in 2015 and has developed into an important first-team member under manager Mark Hughes.

Fancy bossing Jesus at Man City or Draxler at PSG? Football Manager…

January deals are done for gamers looking to test their coaching ability with the most up to date squad lists, or those who need a fresh start Tired of Oscar tearing you to pieces when facing Chelsea, or fancy your chances of bringing the best out of Gabriel Jesus at Manchester City? The latest update for the popular video game has been released, and it includes all of the deals done during the winter transfer window. That means there are a few more familiar faces in the Chinese Super League than there were previously, while some big-money moves have been made at leading clubs in Europe.

Pep Guardiola plans goalkeeping review but Joe Hart’s return remains unlikely

Pep Guardiola intends to review Manchester City’s goalkeeping situation at the end of the season – though the door appears to remain closed for England stopper Joe Hart. Having loaned Hart out to Torino in a season-long deal earlier this term, City’s boss switched goalkeepers last month and chose Willy Caballero between the sticks after previous first-choice Claudio Bravo conceded six goals from as many shots across two games.

Real Sociedad concedes late equalizer in 2-2 draw with Eibar

Real Sociedad conceded an equalizer in the final minute of stoppage time to draw 2-2 against Eibar on Tuesday, missing a chance to take fourth place from Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league and establish itself as a top contender for a Champions League spot. The hosts were only a few seconds from victory when Pedro Leon seized on a loose ball and evaded a defender before firing a low shot beneath goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.

VIDEO: Ramos nets stunning scissor kick in Real Madrid training

The Spain international’s main job is stopping the opposition from scoring, but he showed his eye for goal with a spectacular finish on Tuesday Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos displayed some explosive sharp-shooting on the training ground as the La Liga leaders prepared for Wednesday’s match with Las Palmas. Madrid retained their one-point advantage over Barcelona at the summit with a thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Villarreal over the weekend.

Steven Davis finds Southampton’s defeat hard to take

Southampton can take no consolation from their strong EFL Cup final showing after their valiant loss to Manchester United on Sunday, according to Steven Davis. Claude Puel’s Saints were the better side for much of an enthralling final, which was settled by a late Zlatan Ibrahimovic header as United recorded a 3-2 win.

Ref Watch: Linesman too fast

How did the officials get Manolo Gabbiadini offside call so wrong? Did Jesse Lingard deserve red in the EFL Cup final? And were Chelsea lucky? Dermot Gallagher knows… After another weekend of contentious decisions, the former referee got stuck into the big calls made by his former colleagues on Sky Sports News HQ on Monday morning. INCIDENT: Manolo Gabbiadini sees his goal flagged for offside by Stuart Burt early on in Southampton’s 3-2 defeat by Man Utd in the EFL Cup final.

Toure unsure over Man City future

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has no doubts he will carry on playing next season but the 33-year-old is unsure whether he will still be at the Etihad Stadium. Four-times African footballer of the year Toure has been in fine form since returning to Pep Guardiola’s side, scoring six goals in 18 appearances in all competitions so far.

‘Master of substitutions’ Sampaoli strikes again

Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli proved the ‘master of substitutions’ once again on Saturday with a key switch that not only earned his side a come-from-behind win over Real Betis but boosted his reputation as one of the most wanted coaches in Europe. Sampaoli’s stock has risen sharply this season with Sevilla on track for their best league finish in eight years and on course to reach the Champions League quarters for the first time after their win over Leicester City in the last 16 first leg.

Bilic confident West Ham can repeat cup win over Chelsea

West Ham United’s recent form has given manager Slaven Bilic belief that his side can repeat their October League Cup victory over Chelsea when the London rivals meet in the Premier League at the London Stadium next Monday. West Ham have lost just once in their last six league games but will be the underdogs when they come up against a formidable Chelsea side that appear on course for the title with a 10-point lead at the top of the standings.

La Liga: Real Madrid post comeback win over Villarreal, on verge of…

Alvaro Morata of Real Madrid celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winner during the La Liga match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid at Estadio de la Ceramica on February 26, 2017 in Villarreal, Spain Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale both scored as Real Madrid staged a remarkable late comeback from two goals down to win 3-2 at Villarreal and stay top of La Liga on Sunday. Substitute Alvaro Morata got the winner in the 83rd minute to cap a 19-minute turnaround that keeps Zinedine Zidane’s side on course for their first La Liga triumph since 2012 after Barca’s talisman Lionel Messi had briefly sent his side top with a late strike in the 2-1 victory at Atletico Madrid.

Where are they now? Manchester United’s 2010 League Cup winning side

“In that way we hope United will win at the weekend and one of the biggest clubs wins the FA Cup , because then it’s possible seventh in the table can play a qualification for the Europa League “. Thus, it seems very likely that the EFL Cup final tonight will have no bearing whatsoever on Mourinho’s future at Manchester United, but he will want his team to reward their hard work this season with silverware.

Clough: Burton Albion would have taken five points at start of busy week

Nigel Clough says Burton Albion would always have taken five points from a hectic week in the Championship – and not letting Blackburn Rovers make up any ground was the key target on Friday night. Ahead of their home clash with play-off chasing Norwich City on February 18, the Brewers sat 21st in the table after 31 games – just two points above the relegation zone.

Rate The Ref – Posh v Rochdale – Chris Sarginson

What did you think to Chris Sarginson`s refereeing performance in the Sky Bet EFL League One match between Peterborough United and Rochdale? Referee Chris Sarginson stole the headlines with three red cards in this match between Posh and Rochdale. Admittedly Sarginson was whistle happy but we do have to say he got all three decisions correct! Rochdale boss Keith Hill was critical of the official`s performance while Posh boss Grant McCann didn`t want to discuss the man in the middle! What did you think to the referees performance? To rate the referee, there are four categories to score the official on: A. Decision Making B. Consistency C. Fitness and Positioning D. Control and Authority Each category is out of 25 .

Chaos at boardroom level, Galacticos over cantera – are Barcelona turning into Real Madrid?

With expensive signings, no midfield plan and a cold relationship between players and club chiefs, the Blaugrana have started to resemble their rivals The roles have reversed. Not so long ago it was Real Madrid who were known for their policy of signing superstars and their turmoil in the boardroom, while Barcelona bolstered their strength in depth by plucking players from their youth system.

Bayern routs Hamburg 8-0 with Lewandowski hat trick

Bayern Munich gave Hamburger SV another thrashing at home in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a hat trick in an 8-0 rout before coach Carlo Ancelotti took pity on the visitors. After several lackluster performances in the league, Bayern stepped up a level against Hamburg, playing at pace with determination and commitment, dominating possession and forcing the game.

Sevilla rises to top of La Liga with comeback at Betis

His team trailing against its fiercest rival, coach Jorge Sampaoli orchestrated a 2-1 comeback at Real Betis that lifted Sevilla to the top of the Spanish league on Saturday. Substitute Vicente Iborra got the winning goal in the 75th minute to silence the Benito Villamarin Stadium following Gabriel Mercado’s equalizer.

West Brom sends Bournemouth sliding toward relegation zone

West Bromwich Albion is exceeding expectations and remains a surprise contender for European qualification after sending Bournemouth sliding toward the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over the south-coast team on Saturday. Bournemouth took an early lead through Josh King’s penalty but goals from defenders Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley turned the game at the Hawthorns on its head before halftime as West Brom won at home for the seventh time in the last eight outings.

Real Madrid crazy pay same Dele Alli they did Gareth Bale

Real Madrid would be ‘crazy’ to pay same money for Dele Alli as they did for Gareth Bale, insists Michel Salgado Former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado believes that the Spanish giants would be ‘crazy’ to spend the same amount of money on Dele Alli as they did on winger Gareth Bale. Alli has been in great form for Tottenham since making his debut against Manchester United in August 2015 and he has attracted plenty of interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, including the La Liga leaders.

Real Sociedad moves closer to Champions League spot in Spain

Real Sociedad moved closer to a Champions League spot by defeating Las Palmas 1-0 after a blunder by the home side’s goalkeeper in the Spanish league on Friday. Veteran midfielder Xabi Prieto scored the 74th-minute winner from just outside the area after Las Palmas goalie Geronimo Rulli made a mistake and passed the ball right to Prieto’s feet when under pressure from another Real Sociedad player inside the box.

Martin Caceres set to make Southampton debut in EFL Cup final

The 29-year-old defender was signed as a free agent two weeks ago, having been without a club since leaving Italian champions Juventus at the end of last season. Saints manager Claude Puel moved for Caceres after losing Virgil van Dijk to a long-term ankle injury and captain Jose Fonte, who transferred to West Ham last month.